


i think i saw you coming

by yellowtay



Category: AndiMack, LGBT - Fandom, Muffy - Fandom, Tyrus - Fandom, ambi - Fandom
Genre: Andi Mack - Freeform, Bisexuality, Homosexuality, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Paris - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-07 21:51:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowtay/pseuds/yellowtay
Summary: or the one where tj and cyrus meet in france during an internship and fall in love or something





	1. 0.1

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is my first fic in like uhh two yrs?  
> im a little rough on my writing skills but hopefully i'll get better  
> im still working on the final plot and flow of things so just stick w me :)
> 
> ok that is all
> 
>  
> 
> twit / yellowtyrus

It's shitty of him, and he knows it. Locking himself in his room and blocking out the world is shitty. What makes it worse is that he can't bring himself to care. Not anymore. Not even when Andi brings him all his favourite food from the cafe down the road, or when Buffy suggests an all-night Disney movie marathon. Not when the two best people he knows says they should go build snowmen in the frosted park behind the apartment they once spent hours at. Not when Andi brings him a hot chocolate that sits on his bedside table, getting cold until the next morning when she kisses the boy's head and pours it down the sink.

He knows it's shitty, but it's even shittier because losing himself in the way the sun burns across his now-blank bedroom walls and feeling like a lump of literal nothing always feels better than putting on a fake smile for everyone around him. Andi and Buffy aren't shitty. They've been more than understanding and compensating for Cyrus. Even after the breakup, Cyrus losing his job and when he dropped out of college. They always show up for Cyrus. He just wishes he could do the same. 

"Maybe that's why it feels so shitty," Cyrus thinks. It's Tuesday. Or, perhaps it's Sunday. He's laying in bed again, his hair is oily and unwashed. He's still wearing that fucking hoodie.

"Maybe if I didn't have such caring people around me, who just want me to be okay, I could deteriorate all alone and feel nothing."

The mattress beneath him sinks impossibly lower, and if it caved a few more inches, Cyrus could be lost in the springs forever. But no, there he lays; Hair messy and unkept. A hoodie and a pair of dirty sweats; the only things covering him. His duvet is somewhere on the floor, across the room, probably crumpled together. The sun is sinking behind the horizon. He can see the smoke rising from the other flats that are sprinkled all around this block. The late winter isn't helping Cyrus feel any better. He may or may not be justifying all this never-leaving-bed shit on the December that speaks with promises of an even colder January. The boy tries to appreciate the pink and yellows. He wishes they would make their way into every crack and corner of the room and transform his dark thoughts that seem to yell in black and reds. He wants the light breeze from the window Andi insisted he opened to make him feel a little more alive. Instead, It's just making him impossibly numb from the cold. Daggers of ice run across his bare legs, leaving cuts deep enough to leave invisible scars.

Readjusting, he puts his hand behind his head and lifts just enough to test the tightness in his chest. He guesses right -- It still hurts. 

But he has to pee. He's had to pee for quite a while now, but with everything else in life, he merely puts it off until its staring him right in the eye and breathing down his neck. With a thick sigh that lands between his shoulder blades, he waits a whole other minute before making himself get up. He might stumble over some clothes and garbage and whatever else is filling the floor, but he doesn't know for sure. 

Everything is dizzy all the time.

Somehow he makes it to the bathroom. It's only across the hall from his room, but sometimes it feels like a hike. Like a routine, he darts his eyes away from the mirror but stands in front of the sink. He pulls the tap on and cups water in his hands. He can feel the water filling up his cracked palms and overflowing. It's small, but it reminds him he's alive. He stares into the tiny pool and can almost remember what it felt like. Before. It's still a little too overwhelming to see it. The blue and grey marks that danced across his skin that must have faded to purple now. Maybe even yellow. 

He doesn't know how long it's been, since- 

A soft knock interrupts his thoughts, and before he can even think about clearing his cement throat, an even softer voice carries through the cracks in the door.

"Cyrus? I-I..." Andi. He pushes the tap off. The tears that are stuck in her throat aren't trying to hide. He knows she cries at night, whether it's for him or not, he knows. She sighs and starts again. "I know everything is a lot right now-trust, I know. But, when you come out if we could just talk. Maybe. If that's alright. I'll be in the kitchen. Do you want tea? Or coffee?"

It's her tone that digs into his skull with full force. It's like he could snap her in half with one motion. 

He won't do that.

He clears his throat. Once, twice. He pulls the tap up again and uses what little energy he has to cup more water and force it into his mouth. It takes two tries, but he swallows. 

He clears his throat once again for good measure and pushes out, "Yeah, tea would be nice." He almost breaks when he hears Andi breathe a sigh of relief.

It's not getting a job, or finding a date, or even signing up for another class.

But it's something. It's progress. It's good. 

✦ * ˚ ✧

After a silent pep-talk and at least three full hand-cups of water to the face, Cyrus makes it down the hall to the right (16 steps to be exact) to find himself in the dimly-lit kitchen. The lights are off, save for a small candle on the black counter island and the one that hangs above the stove that makes the whole room radiate calm. The pinks that inhabit Cyrus's room are making their mark in here as well, and for the first time in weeks, Cyrus feels a bloom of something in his chest. The ambient sound of the city at night drips through the open window. It forces him to take a breath and remember he's not alone. He can hear the kettle squealing and feel his stomach churn, but he pushes it down and takes a breath. The green chair is pulled out and sat in by Cyrus as he waits for Andi to acknowledge his presence. He's not sure if he has it in him to carry on small talk. So he looks around. It's been a while since he's been in here. The island that sits in a half square, separating the kitchen from the living room is accompanied by different colour semi-transparent chairs that range from red to blue to yellow but somehow fit together perfectly. 

It seems to Cyrus like it wasn't too long ago when they picked these out, Buffy insisting they get all 6. Andi said it was silly, to try to fit 6 chairs around a counter that sits 4. But they did it, they bought the full set, and it was the first thing they set up in this flat. It was their first purchase as roommates. It was silly-Andi was right-but it was them, and it was a real promise they all took. These seats have been through everything with the three of them. It was a place of new beginnings. It's where Buffy sat and told Cyrus she was in love with Marty. It was where they all sat together their first night in the flat, ordered a pizza, and stayed awake all night dreaming of the future. Cyrus, looking down and finding the crack in the green chair, remembers this is where he sat when it all happened. When chairs were thrown, and tears were shed. 

It was also a place of endings.

Before Cyrus could get too lost in the memory, Andi turns and jumps a little to find Cyrus sat, staring at a crack in a chair. She stifles a laugh, flicks off the stove light, and makes her way over to place two mugs in front of the boy. She opens the sugar jar and pours one, two, (and a little extra, just the way he likes it) spoonfuls into one of the mugs and Cyrus's heart tugs because through it all, she knows how he loves his tea. After pouring sugar into her cup, she waddles around the counter and sits next to him, in the purple chair. 

She pulls the mugs closer, and her hands instantly hug her cup. Cyrus brings his up to his face, letting the heat float from the tip of his nose to the curve of his ears. It's nice. They must sit in comfortable silence, sipping their teas, for at least ten minutes. Maybe even longer. By the time it's gone lukewarm, the pinks that once filled the room are now replaced by dark blues. The air feels a little lighter like it's easier to breathe. The outside world doesn't exist. The only real things right now are the two beings sitting in colourful chairs and the damn good tea. He lets the feeling settle in a little more before turning to the girl sat to his right. He knows what's coming. He's terrified, but he knows they need to talk about it.

"Andi. I- thank you, for the tea." he pauses, "and for putting up with me. For so long." 

She merely waves her hand, and he knows it means 'i love you. Don't bother saying thank you. but, you're welcome.' She takes another sip, then placing her cup down she turns to face Cyrus. Her leg turns so their knees are touching and Cyrus doesn't mean to, but he pulls away. It's a small gesture, but it's noted by Andi, and he knows. 

✦ * ˚ ✧

Maybe because it's late; because it's Andi. The one who's been there since day one. The one who sat with Cyrus at lunch on the first day of middle school and declared they would be best friends. The one that held Cyrus's hand before the Senior talent show when he danced. The one that wiped his tears when he finally opened up to her about everything that had him suffering in silence for months. Whatever the reason, he instantly feels himself fill up with words he wants to say. He begins to overflow.

He starts the race of 'trust me, I'm trying' with a half-assed 'im sorry.' He scratches that and tells Andi the way it hurts. How it's a dagger in his heart that gets dug in a little deeper every time he breathes. He's run a marathon before there's even a mention of he's Here and There and Everywhere, yet nowhere at all. How his voice taunts Cyrus to the point where he's losing his mind. He crosses the finishing line but finds no one there to cheer. There's no table with fruits and water to replenish all that he lost. What he finds is tears soaking his shirt. Andi's too. At some point, she had taken him into his arms and started drawing small circles and stars and moons to try to calm this broken shell of a man.

Andi tells Cyrus to close his eyes and take some deep breaths. She empties the cold tea into the sink and leaves the dishes for the morning.

She takes Cyrus in her warm arms and leads him down the hall. He almost tugs away and dives into his bedroom, locking the door forever because that was too much at once. It was all so vulnerable and naked for Cyrus's liking. But at this point, he sees clouds and moons across the ceiling, and he just needs to sleep without the dreadful feeling of being alone. So he lets Andi take him to her room. He barely bats an eyelash when she takes off his hoodie.

Before Cyrus can register it, she's brought in a fresh t-shirt of his. One that doesn't smell like him. He's half asleep, but the tears come back as she delicately puts the shirt on him. He's fully asleep and tucked into the covers by the time she's crawled into the other side of the full-size bed, kissing his forehead and wishing him sweet dreams. 

It's not fair, how un-shitty Andi is. 

✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧ 

It took a few weeks, and a lot more late night tea offerings, to get Cyrus back to life.

 

It became a sort of habit, Andi getting home from work late at night, making a special brew just for the two of them. Buffy was usually out with Marty, she seemed to be ignoring the boy, but he didn't mind it. Sure, sometimes he felt rejected after he worked so hard to come back to reality, but his friend would talk to him when she's ready. In fact, he found himself feeling nostalgic about when it was just Cyrus and Andi. A power duo in school. An unstoppable friendship that shouldn't have made sense - but it just did.

Back before they stumbled across young Buffy in the library studying for a final they happened to all be taking. She had always been the outgoing one, who could talk and gossip for hours. Cyrus was still the one to listen, to stay inside on Friday nights and be there when Andi would get back to their apartment thoroughly wasted. He would make sure she drank water and took off her makeup.

They just clicked together, and Neither of them questioned it.When Buffy became a part of their lives, it was sort of like this missing puzzle piece they didn't even know they lost. It all just -- worked. So, naturally, being the broke Uni students they were, they moved in together. They bought all six of those silly chairs, and they built a home together.

 

So here they were, once again, sitting and sipping their tea. Christmas had passed, and even though Cyrus was very much broke, he made sure to let the girls know how much they mean to him.

 

So, he got a job. It wasn't full time, nor was it anything he could apply to his career someday, but it was money. And it had been getting him out of the house. Not that he absolutely hated being a stock person at a small book store - it was actually quite enjoyable most of the time - but it was still hard. He came home exhausted and mentally drained, but Andi always had an open seat and a cup of tea for him. It took a lot out of Cyrus, but being able to buy Andi that tea set she said she had loved, and getting that weird Japanese game for Buffy, made it all worth it. Plus, he was once again helping out with rent. Everyone in the house seemed to breathe a little easier now. 

 

✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧ 

Andi takes a long sip and relaxes further into the couch, her legs over Cyrus' thighs. She takes her eyes off the tv and leans her head back, to look at the ceiling. She stays like that for a few moments, and Cyrus can tell she's lost all interest in finishing the movie. 

Cyrus shuts the tv off, instantly drowning the room in darkness, and sets his cup down on the floor.

"If that spills you're cleaning it up"

Cyrus blinks and turns to her, "You're not even looking at me, how did you know I set it down?"

"I just know you."

They both chuckle and then fall into a comfortable silence. It's well over five minutes before either of them move. Now that the tea has settled into their systems, a feeling of wonder falls over the room. They've kept a streak of having deep chats about life and the universe since the first night Cyrus came back to life. Tonight would be no different.

Finally, Cyrus speaks up.

"My manager showed me something cool today."

"mm?" Andi's eyes were closed, but she was still listening.

The boy continues, "It's an essay contest. Write about whatever you'd like, send it in, and there's a cash prize for second and third place."

"And the prize for first place is..?"

Cyrus bows his head and fiddles with his thumbs. He wants to talk about it, that's why he brought it up, yet suddenly he feels like never speaking again.

"It's a full ride internship." He pauses, finally lifting his head to look at the girl opposite him, "In France."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I don't know. It sounded interesting but I have written in months and when I did, well, it sucked."

Andi finally took her gaze off of the white ceiling, making eye contact with Cyrus, "Don't say that, you know everyone that read your old stuff loved it. Especially me. You have a way of touching people through your work, Cy. Just because that went away doesn't mean it can't come back. And it definitely doesn't mean it was bad. I personally liked your robot Bella x Edward Cullen fanfic."

"Oh shut up," he groans, while the girl tries to hold in a laugh.

After a moment, Cyrus couldn't help but laugh as well. Once they had calmed down, she let out a hum. Cyrus could see that Andi was trying to piece her sentences together while they were coming out. 

"If you want to enter, you should. I think it would be good for you, to start writing again. To me, that was when you seem happiest. Plus, if there's a chance of money, why not?"

"Yeah, why not? The contest doesn't start for another month or so, which means I already have a headstart. Now I  just need to find something to write about that will get me to France."

"As long as you'll hide me in your suitcase, I'd let you go."

Cyrus smiled and tickled the girl's feet, still resting on his legs. "Andi stop being a mother challenge: failed"

Andi squirmed and shrieked, pulling her feet away and then standing up, creating distance between the two. 

"You wouldn't survive without me and you know it."

Cyrus didn't want to admit it. She was completely right. If they weren't living together, he would most definitely still be rotting away in his dingy, sweaty, bed. 

At least now he has tea and a reason to get out of it every day. 

✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧ 

 


	2. 0.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to aim to post on Tuesdays. but I don't want to set a super strict schedule for myself, as I want this story to flow nicely. I want to write for the purpose of writing, not just pressing myself into an 'assignment' if that makes sense
> 
> I'm also working on making my chapters less detailed. I get ahead of myself and focus on every single thing that I imagine is happening in a scene, instead of focusing on moving the story along. 
> 
> so, bare with me. I promise this story will be worth it lol
> 
> also, this chapter was about 1600 words, whereas the first one was around 3k. I love the length and flow of the first one, but I don't want to lose your attention by dragging on scenes that don't need all that detail. 
> 
> Do you prefer longer chapters with more scenes or shorter chapters with more detailed scenes?
> 
> I want the first fourth of this story to be quick, so we can get into the plot of it, but I don't want to rush it and not give enough attention to the setup.
> 
> anyways,  
> thank you for reading!  
> twit// yellowtyrus  
> come say hi!

✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧

A couple of days have passed since the last tea night with Andi.

So here he was, laying in bed once again, trying to find a purpose to get out of it.

Christmas was next week and he still hadn't bought anything for anyone. Besides all of his paychecks going towards making up for the months of rent he missed, he had no idea what to get for anyone. Andi said paying more than his part of rent wasn't necessary, of course, but he knew it was the best thing he could do.

The sweat was beginning to pool between the sheets and his back. Whether it be from stress (Buffy still hadn't talked to him) or the fact he was wrapped in two thick blankets and under his duvet, he was still hot.

Finally caving into his body needing some cool air against his skin, he peeled himself out from the constraint of blankets and off his bed and walked over to his window. Looking out, all he could see for miles were city lights. They made the dark night feel more alive. The thought of people out on the town brought a smile to the boys face. He reminisced on the days of disco nights and going out with his friends. Before Buffy was constantly avoiding him; before all his energy was used up at work and his tea dates with Andi. He wanted to get that back. He wished he could make everything go back to how it was. Before. Before everything was ripped out from under him, just to be thrown right back at him in shreds.

He willed himself to remember what it was like before everything went to shit. It all seemed so blurry.

He could remember important moments. The ones that distinctly have a reserved space in his memories. Moments like when they moved in or when Buffy and Marty got together. When they all graduated their freshman year. And of course, the night that everything changed. When the chair cracked, and Cyrus snapped.

He couldn't think about that now. He was supposed to be moving on, thinking about the future. He wasn't supposed to give any time or thought to that night. But somehow, it always comes back. Cyrus was beginning to lose himself in his thoughts, and he wasn't even aware that he was breathing heavy until the sound of a door closing erupted through the apartment.

'It's probably Buffy, back from her late night practising,' Cyrus thought.

He wishes he could simply go to her room and say hi. Ask her how her day was and how Marty is doing. You know, normal small talk.

But he can't. Ever since the fight, Buffy has been avoiding him. Going as far as simply turning into the random closet in their hallway and waiting until he disappeared back into his room to leave. He can't just go talk to her. That would be overstepping his boundaries that she non-verbally has set up.

But then a thought came to the boy. He's spent all this time, waiting for Buffy to make amends. He figured that she would talk to him when she was ready. But what if she was waiting for the same exact thing? What if he was meant to make the first move, proving to them both that he was back for good.

Before he could conjure up some excuse as to put it off, he backed away from the window and made his way down the hallway, finding himself in front of the door with basketball stickers and a sign that reads "Beware of the Buffy"

He didn't have a plan.

He only knew he needed to make up with her. He needed her, and he was sure she needed him too.

At least, he hoped she did.

✦ * ˚ ✧

The door to Buffy's room practically opened on its own the moment Cyrus' hand pressed against the wood. The room was completely dark except for a small glowing light, radiating from what seemed to be the girl's phone. The boy slowly moved across the room, stepping to avoid clothes and whatever else was strewn across the floor. When his eyes finally adjusted to the absence of light, he made the final step towards the lump of Buffy that was covered in blankets.

Before he knew it, he was standing over the edge of her bed. It was suddenly clear to him how much of a plan he _didn't_ have.

Maybe that was for the best, a rehearsed speech wouldn't be sincere. Cyrus needed to open up his scarred heart to get Buffy back.

✦ * ˚ ✧

Without thinking, he cleared his throat and moved to her bedside lamp. With a click, the lamp turned on, filling that corner of the room with a faded yellow glow.

This seemed to grab the girls attention, and she turned to look at who was in her room. She let out a sigh when she saw Cyrus standing there. It wasn't clear if it was annoyance or relief of the discovery.

"What do you need?"

"I want to talk to you if that's okay."

"Okay." She paused to search the boy's face, assuming she found what she was looking for, she continued, "I'm all ears."

Before he could even begin talking, the words jumbled themselves together, creating a puzzle of explanations and apologies. Cyrus had no idea what to start with.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for disappearing for so long, without much of an explanation. I feel awful, and I miss you." He took a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. "I miss our sleepovers and just being there for each other."

Buffy finally sat up, scooted to the edge of the bed and crossed her legs. She patted the bed and mumbled, "Get over here."

Cyrus scrambled to sit down, adjusting his shirt, wiping his nose, then itching his head. Anything to keep his hands busy before talking again.

"You know I was hurt too. You got to disappear, I had to keep going." Buffy explains. He could tell she was thinking too, as she was playing and looking at her hands.

This confuses Cyrus. "But I was the one in the relationship, how were you hurt?"

"We were all friends, Cy. Not only were we hurt because you were, but we were all invested in the relationship as well. When you hurt and lost someone you cared about, so did we."

Cyrus kept his mouth shut. He hadn't even thought about it that way.

Buffy sighs, "I'm not saying it's your fault, You were grieving and dealing with it in your own way. I get that. But, at the end of the day, you disappeared. Andi and I had to deal with it, and we did. We gave you the space we thought you needed."

"Wait," Cyrus exclaims, "Andi feels the same way?"

As if this was a planned scene, Andi steps into the room, "I wasn't as affected by it, although I was hurting for you, Cyrus. I felt like I couldn't help you, because you wouldn't talk to either of us. I thought I had lost you for good."

"We felt hopeless."

Cyrus turned back to the girl sitting on the bed opposite him. His heart felt like it was being shattered all over again.

Walking over to Andi, he took her into his arms and held her close. "I'm sorry, I just lost myself and I knew you guys would see through anything fake, so I chose to feel the heartbreak as much as I could."

"I just didn't want you to come back and then have to watch you leave again."

Cyrus turns back to Buffy, pools of sadness filling her eyes. He knows he hurt her. This is all his fault. He never meant to ghost on the two most important people in his life, but he just lost himself for a while. He had no motive to be a human being anymore. He couldn't make himself put on a facade, it was all too much work. He thought that clocking out and then coming back when he was ready, would be the best solution. Somehow, the idea that pushing the girls away, would lessen their hurt. Somewhere between losing the one he loved, and then himself, he didn't think about the fact that Buffy and Andi were there too. They were invested in the relationship just as much as he was. They had to hurt too. Even more so, because they lost Cyrus in the mess of it all.

It felt like a softball to the face. How could he have been so selfish? So wrapped up in his own inner turmoil he completely disregarded his best friends. The ones that have been there for him since day one.

He tries to conjure up the words, "I'm sorry," but all that comes out is a squeak. How will that be enough? He was so worried about himself he didn't even realize that Buffy needed him. That Andi needed him. The world needed him.

It was a punch in the gut to realize the world still went on without him, but he knew the people around him needed him, just as he needed them.

Without thinking, Cyrus turns around, pulls Buffy up off the bed and into his arms. There they stay, no one knows how long for, but it's a while because, by the time they let go, Andi simply says, "I love you both but I need to pee really bad. I want this moment to last forever, but my bladder has other plans."

They all let go and share a laugh.

"I'm glad we're back."

"So are we Cy, so are we."

✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧✦ * ˚ ✧


End file.
